


Thunderstruck

by nativeportlandian



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Reapers, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/M, Rating May Change, Shakarian - Freeform, garrus is a badass, might add more ships later?, no one dies, this is mostly for my own benefit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-06-27 06:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15680241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nativeportlandian/pseuds/nativeportlandian
Summary: It starts in a bar with a drink and a promise. AU.





	1. A Sucker

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been a sucker, had a weakness for a boy with a guitar and a drink in his hand.

It had been Tali’s idea to go out to the bar that night, as it usually was. The quarian loved getting drunk, that was not new. But she had a different reason this time: an up-and-coming band was scheduled to play a set that evening, and Tali had proclaimed herself their first biggest fan. “They’re going to be huge!” she’d squealed, grabbing on to Shepard’s arm. “And they’re all so hot!”

“It’s a…boy band, right?” Liara asked. She rarely came along for these kind of excursions, but had been convinced by the persistent whining and begging by their quarian friend. 

“You could call it that,” Tali said, shrugging one shoulder as she used the other to swing Shepard’s hand. “They’re all boys.”

“Boys or men?” Ashley asked from behind them. Shepard could hear the smirk in her voice.

“Shush. You know what I meant.”

“I heard it’s interspecies,” Shepard said, raising an eyebrow at Tali. Her friend giggled gleefully.

“Oh yes! It’s got a couple humans, and a turian, and even a drell!” Her bright eyes were narrow with delight behind her mask. “They’re so cute!”

“So, one for each of us?” Ashley laughed. “Just don’t stick me with the turian. Please.”

“What, Ash? Don’t like a little mandible action?” Shepard teased, turning around and running at Ashley with her fingers next to her cheeks. Ashley squealed and spun away, almost tripping over her heeled boots.

“We know you don’t mind a little mandible action, Shepard,” Liara teased, her speckled cheeks turning a soft purple. 

Shepard huffed a laugh. “Oh, please. Nihlus? It was one time.”

Tali hummed as she skipped forward. “Maaaayyybe more than one time, Shepard.”

Shepard shoved the back of her suit with a laugh. “Hey, I’m not the one watching Fleet and Flotilla every single Saturday.”

They reached the bar to find it more crowded than usual. An opening act of two asaris were already pumping up the crowd, and the place was loud and crazy. Tali immediately joined the throng, dragging Ashley by the arm. Shepard turned and began pushing her way to the bar, Liara following her with a hand placed between her shoulders.

The bartender was a Salarian with brilliant blue stripes on his horns. Shepard couldn’t tell if they were natural or tattoos. She leaned an elbow on the counter, pushing herself closer to the bartender so he could have a chance at hearing her.

“Can I get two of the _Blue Azure’s_ please?” she said in what she hoped was the direction of the Salarian’s ear. He gave her a small nod and turned toward the vast array of colorful liquors.

Liara hooked her arm through Shepard’s, looking mildly uncomfortable. “I don’t really want to drink, Shepard.”

Shepard huffed a laugh. “I wish you’d told me that before I ordered two.”

The bartender placed the two tall glasses of brilliant blue liquid in front of them. “Name?” he asked, pulling up his omni-tool to create a tab.

“Shepard,” she said, loud over the din. He nodded once more and moved on to the next customer. Liara stared at the drink with a crinkled nose.

“This is the most stereotypical maiden drink,” she muttered, wrapping her dainty fingers around the glowing glass. “Stop me if I start saying a stripper pole looks tempting.”

Shepard took a sip, the asari liquor sending what felt like tiny bolts of electricity down her throat. “Maybe it’ll help a little. Make you act less like you’re already 400.”

Liara gave Shepard a slight shove as she maneuvered the straw to her lips. “If you’d rather I act like one of those women,” she indicated with a nod to the two on stage, “let me know.”

The drink was incredibly strong. Shepard could already feel warmth radiating out from her stomach. “You know I love you just how you are.”

Her asari friend blushed lightly. She opened her mouth to respond when Tali exploded from the crowd. “Liara!” she cried. “You have to see these girls. One of them looks just like you!” Ignoring her protest, Tali grabbed her friend’s wrist and tugged her away into the throng of bar patrons. 

Shepard shook her head, looking again to her drink. “Guess it’s just you and me again, old friend,” she joked. She tossed back a long swallow, embracing the burn and electric heat.

“Is this spot taken?”

Shepard almost choked on her beverage as she heard the voice from beside her, where Liara had been. It was deep and smooth, with the tell-tale flang of a turian. Maybe the alcohol was helping, but her heart jumped in her chest. She turned and found herself face to face (or rather, face to chest) with a rather handsome turian man. He was tall – at least a foot and a half taller than her. He was wearing a smooth black jacket that didn’t do much to hide the muscles bulging from his arms and shoulders. He had silvery gray plates swiped with the dark blue paint of his colony marks, and in the darkness of the bar, his icy blue eyes glowed.

Shepard cleared her throat and looked forward, trying not to show how taken she had been. Okay, so maybe she did have a little thing for turians. 

The mystery man leaned in next to her, raising one hand to catch the bartender’s attention. Shepard noticed he wasn’t wearing gloves. His talons were sharp and reflected the dim bar lights. She raised her eyebrows. It was an unusual sight to see a turian without their gloves – most considered it rude.

He ordered a brandy in the same lovely, rumbling tone. The bartender smiled – smiled! – and nodded, rushing to grab a glass bottle off of the top shelf. Shepard’s eyebrows raised higher, if that was even possible at this point. This guy must be a regular. A regular with some credits to spare.

Sheaprd stirred her own drink with her straw, watching the Salarian place a glass of dark liquid in front of the turian. He thanked the Salarian with a nod, pulling the glass closer. He took a sip, clenching his mandibles close to his face. Shepard was caught off guard when he immediately turned to her.

“Something you want to say?” he asked. His voice was like honey. Shepard blinked several times, trying to regain her faculties before embarrassing herself further. 

“I think anyone would be curious, seeing someone order top shelf like that.” She sipped her drink, maintaining eye contact. One of his mandibles flared out in a recognizable grin.

“I think humans have a saying about that,” he said, swishing the brandy around with his wrist. “Something about it killing something.”

“‘Curiosity killed the cat’,” Shepard provided, pushing her hair back in what she hoped was a seductive way. “There’s a second part to it though: ‘Satisfaction brought it back’.”

The turian laughed, loud and deep. “I like that! It sounds like something a human would say.” He took another swig of his drink. “What’s your name?”

She briefly wondered if she should give him a fake name. She sometimes did that with one-night stands, it felt safer. But something in her gut told her that wouldn’t be necessary with this guy. “Shepard. My friends all call me Shepard.” Without thinking, she extended her hand to shake his, too late realizing how human the gesture was. To her surprise, he took her hand in both of his and shook it. His large hands entirely engulfed her own, talons circling her wrists. They were exceedingly warm.

“Garrus,” he said. His voice felt like it was right beside her ear. It made her shiver.

Garrus leaned back again, wrapping his hands once more around his drink. Shepard barely remembered hers – it was mostly ice now. “What brings you here?” she asked, wincing at how awkward it the words came out. If Garrus noticed the hitch in her voice, he didn’t say anything. 

“Work,” he said passively. There seemed to be more to that answer than he was giving, but before Shepard could press he asked, “What about you?”

“My friends brought me here to see some band,” she said, flapping a hand dismissively. “They’re supposed to be good, I guess. My friend is the real fan.”

Garrus raised his browplates. “Which band?”

She shrugged, knocking back the last of her drink. “No clue. Like I said, I was the one taken here. I'm not too interested in it.”

The turian flicked his mandibles. “If it’s the next one, I’ll bet you’ll like them. The guitarist is an attractive guy, so I’ve heard.”

Shepard raised an eyebrow, the alcohol making her a little more cheeky than usual. “As attractive as you?”

Garrus gave her a turian style grin. “Maybe. Guess you’ll have to wait and see.” He glanced over her head, making eye contact with someone across the room. “My friend is signaling me over.” A note of disappointment was in his voice. Shepard couldn’t help feeling disappointed as well – she’d wanted to spend a little more time with this interesting turian.

He swiped his brandy off of the table, taking the only partially full glass with him. “I’ve got to go,” he said, leaning down next to her ear. “But I want to talk to you again. Will you meet me here tomorrow night?”

Shepard let a shiver roll down her spine. His voice was delicious. “Yeah,” she said in the same low, sensual tone. “I’d like that.”

Garrus flicked his mandibles into a grin again, letting them brush her cheek. “See you, Shepard.”

Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd. It took Shepard a moment to realize that the music had stopped, and the next band would be starting soon. She pushed herself off the bar, pulling up her omni-tool to pay up her tab. She didn’t want to get anymore drunk – she wanted to remember everything about the conversation she’d just had.

Her friends were in a group close to the side of the stage, giggling and passing Liara’s drink around. Tali saw her first, and nearly spilled the drink on the floor as she raised her arms in greeting. “Shepard!” she said, words slightly slurred. Being the lightweight that she was, Tali was probably already feeling the affects of her (twice-filtered) alcohol. “I thought you were going to miss them!”

“Yeah, sorry,” she said, wedging herself between Liara and Ashley. “I met a guy at the bar.”

“You did?” Liara asked. She seemed a little crestfallen.

“What’d he look like?” Ashley asked, grinning. “No. Let me guess. Turian.”

Shepard rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter what he looks like. He had to go meet his friend.” She left the information about possibly meeting him again to herself.

“Definitely a turian,” Tali teased, poking Shepard in the arm.

She rolled her eyes. “He told me that the guitarist is a hottie.”

Tali immediately clasped her hands to her chest in a mock swoon. “He’s right! I’d give anything to link my suit with him. So handsome!”

“If he’s also a turian, I’m going to laugh my ass off,” Ashley said, finishing off Liara’s drink.

The MC, an elcor with a taste for showmanship, had taken the stage. Shepard couldn’t help but giggle at the bow tie that had been wrapped all the way around his large head to rest beneath his slitted mouth. He ambled up to the mic at the front of the stage, making what could have passed as a throat clearing noise.

“With frivolity: Ladies, gentlemen, and honored guests, it is my pleasure to announce our most successful group yet.” The crowd quieted at the ringing monotone. “With pride: They started here at our very own open mic night. Hyping the crowd: Please welcome, the Archangels.”

The elcor stepped off the stage, followed by numerous cheers and applause. Then the band filed on, heading to their respective instruments. A large human man with dark skin and numerous tattoos took up residence at a drum kit in the back, pulling a pair of well-worn sticks out of the back pocket of his jeans. A drell followed, carrying an instrument Shepard didn’t entirely recognize. Another male human hopped up the steps, an annoyed look on his features. He turned towards where they had come from, jerking his chin in a “come on” gesture. A turian slowly made his way up the steps. Shepard nearly stopped breathing when she saw his face in the stage light.

It was Garrus.

He still had the brandy in his hand, which he knocked back the last of in the middle of the steps. In his other hand, he held a turian guitar. It was a new instrument for turians because it was modeled after the human invention with small tweaks – like the two sets of strings to imitate the two voice boxes turians carried. No wonder the translation had gone through.

Shepard let out a groan as several things struck her at once: she’d looked like a fucking idiot in front of him and he’d managed to tease her after the fact, she'd said his band was 'probably not that interesting', and she had another date set up with him.\

“Isn’t he so hot?” Tali said, pulling on the edges of her hood in excitement. 

Ashley was chuckling to herself. “Knew he’d be turian.”

“Are you alright, Shepard? You look pale.”

Liara had placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her stupor. Her friends all looked over at her, concern etched on their faces. Shepard blinked rapidly, trying to tear her eyes away from the turian on stage, swinging his guitar over his shoulder. His large talons splayed out across the strings. The front-man was saying something into the mic, but Shepard could barely hear him.

_Fuck._

“That’s him,” she said, her voice miles away. “That’s the guy.”

Her friends stared at her. Tali’s white eyes were like small moons in her mask.

“What guy?” Liara asked, eyebrows creasing. 

“The guitarist. He’s the one I met at the bar.”


	2. A Band

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus's thoughts on the subject.

The set went fine, as it usually did. Garrus wasn’t paying much attention. He let his hands caress the strings without much thought – the guitar was like a second nature to him. His fingers knew better than his brain, that he was certain of. His brain was somewhere else entirely.

He was thinking of that girl. The human with hair like flames and a voice like whiskey. She was…entrancing, to say the least. What had her name been again?

_Shepard._ The name popped into his head like a gift. She said her name was Shepard.

Garrus thought he might’ve seen her in the crowd – he couldn’t be sure. The stage lights were blinding, and he kept his eyes firmly on his guitar. But every flash of red caught his glance, pulled him away if just for a minute. 

He was hardly paying attention at all when the set ended and Kaiden thanked the crowd. He almost didn’t notice when the lead singer introduced him, followed by a round of applause. Garrus was too busy scanning the crowd. She wasn’t there.

Garrus struggled to swallow the disappointment that had risen to his gizzard, merely nodding at the crowd before turning away to walk off the stage. He wasn’t in the mood to meet any of the girls in the crowd tonight – none of them would compare to the one he had met earlier.

The rest of the band came backstage not long after. Garrus was already reclining back on a couch, a freshly filled glass of brandy in his hands. Kaiden looked miffed.

“Garrus,” he said, coming to a stop and crossing his arms. “You weren’t out there, man.”

“I was, actually,” he said, somewhat dismissively. Kaiden had become very focused on playing to the crowd, and less to just having fucking fun. It annoyed Garrus, but he and Kaiden had never really seen eye to eye on what direction the band was going.

Kaiden sighed. “No. I mean you were distracted. Is there something on your mind?”

Garrus considered telling him about the girl for a moment. Kaiden was a friend, after all. But he’d gotten so wrapped up in their small burst of fame that he’d likely discourage it if it was so distracting. So, he gave him his best excuse: “I’m drunk.”

“No, you’re not,” Jimmy scoffed, picking his bag off the floor and sticking his sticks in the side pocket. “If you were drunk you’d be way into it, G.”

“You don’t know what I’m like when I’m drunk, Jimmy,” Garrus said, gesturing with his brandy to the drummer. Jimmy placed his hands on his hips and raised an incredulous brow. Garrus relented with a sharp laugh. “Okay, that was a real lie right there.”

“I thought turians could not lie,” Thane mumbled, placing his instrument into its case with the utmost care. Garrus still wasn’t sure what it was called.

“They can, they just suck at it,” Jimmy offered, shooting Garrus a grin. The turian tipped his head, mandibles flared.

“At least I’m not six feet tall,” he shot back. Jimmy threw his hands into the air.

“I keep telling you, I’m a tall human!”

Garrus shook his head. “Yet oh so small for a turian.”

Kaiden was pinching the bridge of his nose. “You are both unbelievable. All those people were here to see us, you guys. When will you realize how important this is? We aren’t just practicing anymore.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes and grabbed a yellow human fruit out of the bowl on the green room table. “ _Dios mio_ , Softie, you need to chill the fuck out.” He sat back on the couch and kicked his feet up, peeling the skin off the fruit. “You’re the only one who cares this much.”

Kaiden’s face had turned a pinkish color. That usually meant he was about to “take a break” and sit in the bathroom with the door locked for half an hour. “Oh, so I’m the only one who cares? What about Thane? He takes this seriously.”

The drell in question blinked slowly before standing up and leaving the room. Garrus laughed at that, raising his glass to his retreating frame. “Good idea, man!”

The lead singer pursed his lips. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. “I need a break,” he said. He headed off to the back of the green room, rubbing his temples. Garrus watched him go, swirling his drink.

“See you in an hour, K!” he called. The bathroom door slammed shut.

Jimmy snickered. “Don’t antagonize him, Strings.”

Garrus shrugged one shoulder, a very human gesture he had picked up from his bandmates. “He needs to learn not to take this so seriously. He’s gonna burn himself out.”

His friend nodded, shoving the rest of his fruit into his mouth. “What were you lookin’ for out there?” he said between chews. Garrus looked down at his drink. If he squinted, he could almost say it was the color of her hair.

“I met a girl,” he started, wondering if he was about to make a mistake in telling Jimmy. “At the bar.”

“Was she a groupie?” Jimmy asked, tossing the peel of his fruit into the garbage. He pumped his fists in the air when it made it in.

“No, no.” Garrus huffed a laugh. “She actually had no idea who I was.”

“What’d she look like?” Jimmy seemed wholly interested now. “Did she have a…uh…supportive waist?”

Garrus shook his head, grinning. So he had remembered what he’d said about turian beauty standards. “Actually, she was a human.”

If Jimmy was still eating, he would’ve choked. “What?”

Garrus spread his mandibles wide. “Jealous?”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I thought you didn’t like humans, Strings.”

“There was…something different about this one.” He swished the brandy, watching the last of the ice clink on the side of the glass. “She was entrancing.”

Jimmy scoffed. “Entrancing? Seriously?”

“Yes,” Garrus said, sitting up straighter. “She was…like no human I’d ever seen.”

“Awwwww!” Jimmy cooed, leaning over and clutching his hands together next to his face. “Gawwus has a cwush!”

Garrus knocked back the rest of his liquor and let the glass rest on the arm of his chair. “I have no idea what you’re saying and your tone is definitely scaring me.”

Jimmy let his arms fall to his sides again. “Fair enough. So, you gonna fuck her or what?”

Garrus stood and stretched, his jacket creaking with the movement. “Ask me later, Jimmy. I’m tired.” He reached for the guitar case next to him and hoisted it up over his shoulder. 

Jimmy scoffed. “So you’re just going to drop a bomb like that and then take it back like it never happened? Give me the details!”

Garrus shook his head as he pushed open the back door. “Nah. I think I’m just gonna leave you hanging like the horrible person I am.” He walked outside, laughing at his bandmate’s disappointed face through the crack in the door.

The back alley behind the club gave Garrus a convenient back way to his apartment. It was annoying to wander through the throngs of the Citadel nightlife with his instrument strapped to his back – too many grasping hands.

He raised a hand to hail a skycar and stepped inside the vehicle, resting his guitar across his lap. His hands typed the location of his apartment without much thought, and he sat back to watch the window as the lights rushed past.

His apartment was dark and smelled off. He turned on the lights and grimaced. He’d forgotten about the girl he’d had over the previous night – a groupie. There were empty drink glasses all over his kitchen, and his clothes were all over the living room. Garrus shook his head. He’d deal with that another time. 

In his bedroom he gingerly placed the guitar in its usual spot in the corner, then collapsed onto his bed. In the back of his mind, Garrus wondered if he should undress – he smelled like the club. But another part of him wanted to keep it on forever because it smelled like her.

Garrus brought the sleeve to his face and inhaled, searching for that unique scent. Beneath the smoke and alcohol and sweat was her – spicy and strange. Like a human but more. He wasn’t sure how to describe it other than intoxicating.

A sudden thought exploded in his head, causing him to sit up with a suddenness that almost made him dizzy. He was meeting her again. Tomorrow night. His subvocals thrummed with excitement. Maybe he should consider cleaning his apartment. As he lay back once more, he let himself close his eyes and imagine her fiery red hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where this is going but I hope a some of you enjoy it

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly think I am my own target audience for this. Let me know if anyone is too out of character - i know suave Garrus is a little weird but just bare with me.


End file.
